Wire-fencing stretcher.



PATENTED DEC. 3, 1907.

B. F. STUART, WIRE FENCING STRETGHBR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30. 1907.

l V/ TNESSES BENJAMIN F. STUART, OF RUSHVILLE, MISSOURI.

WIRE-FENCIN G STRETCI-IEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907.

Application filed April 30. 1907. Serial No. 371.082.

'for woven Wire fencing and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of its parts as hereinafter shown and described.

The object of the invention is to provide a stretcher of the character indicated which I may be easily and readily operated by the expenditure of a minimum amount of energy or manual labor.

The stretcher consists primarily of a frame having an opening in which is fixed a transversely disposed shaft or pin. A wheel or pulley is located in the opening and is j ournaled upon the said shaft or pin. A forked lever is pivoted to said shaft or pin and is provided With means for engaging the wheel to rotate the same by degrees or stages. The frame is provided with a lateral extension. A block is employed in connection with the frame above mentioned and a pulley is journaled in the said block, said pulley being of the same diameter as the diameter of the said wheel. A tackle or chain is fixed at one end to the lateral extension of the frame and asses around the pulley of the block and is ed at its other end to the periphery of the wheel. Means is provided for connecting the frame and the block to the wire fencing and an anchor respectively.

In the accompanying drawing :Figure 1 is a side elevation of the stretcher with parts in section, and Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the stretcher.

The stretcher consists of the frame 1 which is provided with an opening 2. The shaft or pin 3 is fixed in the sides of the frame 1 and extends transversely across the opening 2. The frame 1 is provided at one end with a lateral extension 4. The wheel 5 is located in the opening 2 and is journaled for rotation upon the shaft 3. A block 6 is used in conjunction with the frame 1- and its parts. The ulley 7 is journaled for rotationin the said block. The tackle 8 is fixed at one end to the lateral extension 4 of the frame 1 and passes around the pulley 7 and is fixed at its other end to the periphery of the wheel 5.

The lever 9 is provided with a forked or bifurcated end 10 which straddles the wheel 5 and is pivoted in the vicinity of the extremity of its branches upon the pin 3. The wheel 5 is provided at its side with a series of circularly arranged perforations 11 any one of which is adapted to receive one of the pins 12. The said pins and perforations afford means for engaging the lever 9 with the wheel 5 for causing the said wheel to rotate by degrees as the lever is swung back and forth as the said pins, when placed in the perforations 11, project beyond the side of the wheel 5 and lie in the path of the forked end of the lever. Also, a pin 12 is inserted in one of the perforations 11 and is adapted to bear against the edge of the frame '1 to retain the wheel 5 against rotation in a reverse direction. The eye bolt 13 is attached to the frame 1 in alinement with the longitudinal axis thereof through the shaft 3 and to said bolt 13 may be attached a chain or other flexible element for connecting the frame 1 with a suitable anchor such as is usually employed in combination with devices of this character. The eye bolt 14 is attached to the block 6 and to said eye bolt may be connected a flexible element which is also connected with the section of woven wire fences about to be drawn taut.

A pawl and ratchet mechanism or any other similar expedient may be substituted for the perforations and pins 12 as a means for rotating the wheel 5 by the use of a forked lever or for retaining the said wheel against reverse rotation.

The operation of the de vice is obvious and by reason of the fact that the pulley 7 is of greater diameter than the wheel 5 and that the point of attachment of the tackle 8 to the frame 1 occurs nearly in alinement with the periphery of the wheel 5. Thus the said tackle will pass evenly and smoothly around the said pulley. Also, by reason of the fact that the eye bolt coupling 13 is in alinement with the longitudinal axis of the frame 1 and the shaft 3 is similarly located the stress will occur along said axis and there will be no tendency to side draft when the tackle 8 is under heavy strain.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is A stretcher comprising a frame having an opening, a shaft fixed to the frame and extendin transversely across the opening, a wheel Tocated in the opening and ournaled upon the shaft, a block, a pulley journaled on tate as the lever is swung and means for re- 10 the block, a tackle fixed at one end to the taining the Wheel against reverse rotation. frame and passing around the pulley and be- In testimony that I claim the foregoing as ing fixed at its opposite end to the periphery my own, I have hereto affixed my signature of the Wheel, means for connecting the block in the presence of two Witnesses.

and the frame With objects, a forked lever v BENJAMIN F. STUART. having its branches located upon opposite Witnesses: sides of the Wheel and being pivoted to the T. M. WV LKER,

said shaft, means for causing the Wheel to ro- I R. A. PARK. 

